Ryan
Conceptually speaking you are dead right, however I think the issue is not so much in the what to do but more in the getting into position to do it safely.

An that really depend of the weapon and the correlation you can make with open hand

If you look at my profile you will see a picture of a Sweetnam 12 foot lunges. He advocates no moving the foot that is at the back when the lunge is finished.
For that period rapier that is a very sound way of doing thing.
It is a very long thrusting sword with little chopping abilities and the hand is encased in a skeletal guard (and that protect the forearms from slice cut). I.e. we are maximizing thrusting and keeping it safe.
It is not so good to do that with a proper cut and thrust sword, we are in a position where cutting our arms is relatively easy and there is not that much we can do about it.

Equally it is not so good against an open hand style that strike and throw
But equally there is a punch delivered in similar fashion (not that low of a stance) in 18th century bare knuckle boxing (where all throws or body grabs are prohibited).

To gack to your comment, if you are thrusting and keep you back leg fixed, you are "overcomitting" the thrust over cutting and moving. You do not need to be that low, you just need to have your shoulder significantly passed over the hips.

All that to say, that in that king of thrust or punch, the one that is punching is giving the opponent the position do use a technique in safety.
And this is one of the main reasons what MMA people fined thrust punch so abhorrent, but you can jab or cross in the way.
Personally I think there time and places where using that type of punch/thrust is very pertinent but that is certainly not when you try to break the distance.

If our uke strike within his own space (keeping the shoulders aligned with the hips) and we grab his wrist using tenchin, he will be able to resist us at will and it is not that surprising.
After all grabbing is wrist when he is on posture is exactly what kote dori is from ai hanmi and goyku hanmi.

phil

One Ringeck to bring them all and in darkness bind them,
In the Land of Windsor where phlip phlop live.